The blues universe is not limited to the Delta and Chicago. Authentic blues can rise from each and every corner of the globe. When it's played well, stars can emerge where you might not expect them. New Jersey's Ramblin Dawgs are just that; blues stars on the rise from the mid Atlantic coast.

"Shoot Em Up" is a great reminder of how rock used to sound. Fusing blues jams and rock riffs, Ramblin Dawgs excel in both pleasing their audience and leaving them thirsty for more. I can imagine seeing them live would be one heck of a show.

From top to bottom, "Shoot Em Up" didn't have a soft spot. The entire collection is a balanced assortment of traditonal blues sounds with more than a touch of modern rock to keep travelers truckin' on those long road trips.

From the state that gave us "The Boss", Ramblin' Dawgs are pulling no punches and showing some ferocius bite. Give "Shoot Em Up" a spin on your turntable today. Just remember, you heard it here first.

RAMBLIN DAWGS/Shoot Em Up: We won’t tell David Grisman about it, but nu blues rock from Jersey is now Dawg music and this crew is the bunch of leading practitioners that know how to kick it out like Stone Pony is still in business. Hot, sweaty, party music that doesn’t back off, this is the new sound of traditional college party rock.
Chris Spector - Midwest Record

- www.midwestrecord.com

Combine the best elements of The Allman Brothers Band, King’s X, and The Black Crowes and you come close to having the formula for Ramblin’ Dawgs, an incredible blues rock quartet out of New Jersey who offer up a nice album called Shoot ‘Em Up (Dawg Pound).

What struck me about this album is that the vocals and all of the instruments are mixed very well, where you really hear the Hammond B-3 gel and ooze within the bass, guitar, and of course the vocals. Some of this reminds me of the great blues-rock of the 80’s and 90’s, whether it be Charlie Sexton or Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, or with “Leaving You Behind”, it sounds like Joe Lynn Turner-era Rainbow (think “Stone Cold”) or late-80’s Whitesnake. Their cover of the B.B. King staple “The Thrill is Gone” is very respectable too.

The bad thing about this is that this will not get a huge audience as it would have 20 to 25 years ago, because I feel this would be huge if the music landscape was different. It’s hit worthy, and if promoted properly this could get a lot of airplay on today’s classic rock format. But then again, that’s not exactly a bad thing is it, to praise an album for what it could have been. This is very much a now album with a classic feel, and I hope Ramblin’ Dawgs take this as far as they can go, to wake a few people up and let them know what they’re missing in their lives. Don’t miss them if they make the round of blues and rock festivals in coming months.

-John Book, Book's Music

Ramblin Dawgs' newest CD goes by the name of "Shoot Em Up." This album is a collection of upbeat, sometimes aggressive, traditional blues-rock songs. In "Cross the Line" we get a frolicking blues song that is at times gritty with electric guitar, and at times groovy with funky synthesizer and bass interplay. For "Thrill is Gone" we hear the Dawgs take on a BB King classic, which they execute well in a dance-friendly rendition which does the original justice. Then in "Steppin Up" we hear a more contemporary blues song sung in a head-bobbin' style sure to make blues fans want to move. The Ramblin Dawgs are for anyone who not only appreciates traditional blues, but also for those who like funk and blues-crossovers. If you are a fan of Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughn, then the new CD, "Shoot Em Up," is right for you.

-Sean B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team

ROCKIN BLUES

The principle behind an EP, is to get exposure to the wider world, a showcase for your talents that will increase your fan base and hopefully earn that elusive recording contract. With this in mind, Ramblin’ Dawgs have delivered a brief master class in blues rock that will definitely achieve the first objective.

Recent exponents of the Blues such as Joe Bonamassa have brought a harder edged sound to this genre in recent years that seems to appeal to the erstwhile rock fan whilst having its roots firmly in the sounds of legends such as BB King and Buddy Guy.

Ramblin’ Dawgs’ Rockin’ Blues fits into to this category with the upmost of ease , kick off with ‘Steppin’ Up’, a rockier track that takes its lead from Eric Clapton’s 80’s releases such although the slap bass into was a little worrying at first.

‘You Let Me Down’ could easily be penned by the likes of Peter Green or Gary Moore with its drag’ em down lyrics and hypnotic guitar riffing, not a track to lift your spirits rather feeling your pain. The EP concludes with ‘Worse Without You’ and they saved the best till last with its signature Blues solo’s and vocals that should be able to gain a grant from the heritage committee it’s so stooped in historical blues sounds.

There are a lot of references to some great musicians in this review and Ramblin’ Dawgs deserve to be mentioned alongside them, this EP is a fantastic blues rock release that draws from the rich vein of the genre and more than returns on the deal.

-Simon Mulholland of Vangaurd Record Reviews at www.vanguard-online.co.uk

If you take the sounds of Southern Rock, Blues, and Classic Rock and were to merge them all together, the outcome would sound like the Ramblin Dawgs. Ramblin Dawgs has created a fantastic sound that fuses elements or Blues and Rock into melodious tunes. If you are a fan of BB King and Eric Clayton, then you are going to flip over Ramblin Dawgs.

One of the biggest appeals to the band's music is their classic 70's/80's style that works perfectly with their Rock and Blues flavor. C-Dawg is the strongest point to the band's appeal as his soulful rugged voice blends nicely with his bluesy guitars. Add Raul DC's rhythmic drumming, Charlie's breathless Piano & Organ skills/ and Jonas Landau's dynamic bass and you have one winning band.

Ramblin Dawgs' Rockin Blues is the perfect fusion of Blues and Rock flavored with bluesy soulful vocals, out of this world drumming, and intense bass that will have you begging from more of this talented group.

I give Rockin Blues an outstanding A+

The CD is well worth its weight and gold.

-By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA at www.juniorscave.com

The Ramblin Dogs energetic three song EP “Rockin Blues,” is full of classic 70’s/80’s blues tone we all love and remember. The first single, “Steppin Up” is a wonderful throw back to the sound of the Fabulous Thunderbirds with some dirty guitar work by Carlos “C-Dawg” DC. “You Let Me Down” also showcases “C-Dawg’s” Clapton infused playing and lets us hear the band jam out some soulful, slow tempo blues. Closing out the three single EP is “Worse Without You,” a Chicago style blues number with solid chord progressions and guitar driven riffs and solo. The band as a whole is extremely talented, but Carlos’ guitar skills stand out amongst anything else on this disc and deserve to be noticed. If you like Clapton or that old school Chicago blues sound, then “Rockin Blues” is a great CD to add to your collection.

-Shaun H. and the RadioIndy Reviewer Team

Chock full of blues riffage and vocals. “Steppin’ up” sounds like a lost classic Cream/Clapton song, while “you let me down” is obviously an homage to B.B. King’s musical style. Closing the EP is “worse without you”, which reminds me of Buddy Guy type of number. Ramblin Dawgs clearly have a passion for the blues, and this EP showcases it.

-www.blowupradio.com

It goes without saying that people in Belgium and the Netherlands just adore good rock-blues. Therefore we like them to know that one of the best rock blues bands come from East Brunswick in New Jersey and are called The Ramblin Dawgs. They serve you a cocktail of rock blues, rock and classic rock which can be best described as rock driven modern blues.

Established in late 2007 the driving force behind this energetic foursome is singer guitar player Carlos “C Dawg” DC. Accompanied by Raul DC on drums, Charlie Saraceno on piano and organ and John Landau on bass and vocals. Obvious they don’t have an album out yet but in 2009 they released ‘Rockin Blues’ a three song original EP. These three songs should give us a good picture what to expect from this quartet. My absolute favorite is ‘You Let Me Down’ a slow blues in which Carlos manages to create a lot of depth in his guitar playing as well as in his vocals. But ‘Steppin Up’ and ‘Worse Without You’ are definitely worthwhile. This is a band with a lot of potential.